Tearful Brockton mother says, 'In one day my son is gone'

Tuesday

Jun 4, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 4, 2013 at 4:10 AM

The office of Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has confirmed that the death of 4-year-old Chauncey Cohen of Brockton is under investigation by state police detectives assigned to his office and Brockton police. His mother brought him to Good Samaritan Medical Center on Sunday night after he became unresponsive while she gave him a bath.

Amy Carboneau

Chauncey Cohen celebrated his fourth birthday just last month, jumping around in a moon bounce with cousins and driving a tiny motorized Jeep his uncle bought him, his mother said.

“Now in one day my son is gone,” Tania Merisca, the boy’s 26-year-old mother, said through tears from inside her home on Sterling Road in Brockton.

The office of Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz confirmed Monday the boy died Sunday night under suspicious circumstances.

The case remains under investigation by state police detectives assigned to the Cruz’s office and Brockton police. As of Tuesday, Cruz’s office had not released any new information in the death.

Merisca said her boyfriend, Antonio Durham, is not the boy’s father. She said she would leave her son with Durham while she worked. The district attorney’s office would not comment Monday on whether Durham, of Brockton, is a person of interest in the case.

Merisca – who described her son as “a happy boy” who loved cars – said she wants answers.

“I need to know what happened to my son,” she told reporters.

Brockton police spokesman, Lt. Paul Bonanca, said police are referring all calls to the district attorney’s office.

Cohen was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Medical Center at 9:26 p.m. Sunday, after Merisca brought him there about an hour earlier, Cruz spokesman Russ Eonas said Monday.

Merisca told authorities her son had “become unresponsive while she gave him a bath,” Eonas said.

Merisca later described the ordeal to reporters as a “nightmare.”

“My son was fine and all of a sudden for him to not respond to me last night, kills my heart,” she said. “I just want to just wake up.”

Cruz’s office would not release any details about the boy’s condition when he was brought to the hospital.

The Department of Children and Families said Monday the agency is not investigating the family because no child abuse-neglect complaint, commonly called a 51A, has been filed, said spokeswoman Cayenne Isaksen.

Eonas said police were called to the Holiday Inn Express on Westgate Drive in a related call, and that the child was at that hotel before he was brought to the hospital.

Hotel staff said Monday Merisca had registered for just one night, and was alone when she checked in.

“No one here saw the child,” said Beth Scherer, vice president for the Holiday Inn Express and 18-year employee.

Despite the media trucks in the lower lot at the hotel Monday, there was no yellow tape or sign of a crime scene at the Westgate Drive location.

Brockton police received the call at 9:26 p.m. Sunday from Good Samaritan Medical Center reporting the child’s death.

A Nissan Altima sought in connection with the case was located overnight, however police were still searching for a person wanted for questioning, according to Enterprise news partner Channel 5. Cruz’s office could not confirm Monday the car was involved in the case.

As of Monday evening, Cruz’s office said there were no suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact state police at 508-947-8087, or Brockton police at 508-941-0234.

Amy Carboneau may be reached at acarboneau@enterprisenews.com or follow on Twitter @Carboneau_ENT.